Maestro Fuzz-Tone

The Maestro Fuzz-Tone is the fuzz pedal that started the whole category. Introduced in 1962 by Gibson's subsidiary Maestro, the FZ-1 was the first fuzz pedal to reach the market, and it became the sound of one of the most famous guitar riffs ever recorded: Keith Richards' part on the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in 1965¹²³. Its circuit went on to influence the Tone Bender, the Fuzz Face and many other fuzz designs of the mid-1960s⁴.

The original models are long out of production, but the name came back in January 2022, when Gibson relaunched Maestro as a pedal brand and issued the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M, a modern reissue with both an FZ-1 inspired fuzz sound and a thicker, more modern fuzz tone in one box¹⁵².

A faulty preamp, a Nashville engineer and the first fuzz pedal

The Fuzz-Tone traces back to a broken piece of studio gear. The story goes that engineer Glenn Snoddy's faulty preamp circuit caused a distorted sound during a recording session at Owen Bradley's Quonset Hut studio in Nashville, and that distorted sound led to the creation of the fuzz effect¹. Snoddy worked out the details of the Fuzz-Tone with Revis Hobbs, and the transistor circuit was manufactured by Gibson's Maestro subsidiary⁶¹.

Gibson introduced the FZ-1 as the first mass-market fuzz pedal, originally marketing it as a device to make electric guitars sound like brass instruments⁷⁸. Employing three germanium transistors, the simple circuit was slow to take off at first⁴. It was also, in its day, an American product, sold predominantly in the United States⁹.

The Fuzz-Tone came out of a faulty preamp circuit that caused a distorted sound in a recording session, which led to the creation of the fuzz effect¹. The circuit itself was the work of a Nashville studio engineer⁷, and Gibson introduced it as the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone, the first mass-market fuzz pedal¹⁰⁷. Transistorized fuzz pedals first hit the market in 1962 with the Maestro FZ-1¹¹⁸, though one account dates the first commercially available Fuzz-Tone to 1963, originally marketed as a device to make electric guitars sound like brass instruments⁸. It went on to influence the design of many future fuzz and distortion pedals¹.

The pedal's fame arrived in 1965. Keith Richards used an FZ-1 on the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," and MusicRadar reports he originally reached for it to fake temporary sax tones on the demo, then ended up keeping the sound⁶¹². The Fuzz-Tone became the first fuzz effect to gain widespread popularity¹³.

From the FZ-1A and FZ-1B to the FZ-M

Maestro released several variations of the Fuzz-Tone over the following decade and a half¹:

Gibson also reissued the pedal as the FZ-1A in the 1990s before discontinuing that model⁷. Vintage Fuzz-Tones are now sought after by collectors and musicians, and the originals are considered classics¹.

The biggest circuit change is under the hood. Where the FZ-1 used germanium transistors, the FZ-M uses silicon, a choice its designer Craig Hockenberry explained to MusicRadar⁴¹⁵:

The reason given was reliability and availability, and the Classic mode is voiced on the FZ-1A circuit⁴¹⁵.

The FZ-M controls: Attack, Tone, Level and the classic/modern switch

The FZ-M keeps a three-knob layout plus a mode toggle¹⁶¹⁷:

The Mode toggle is what makes it two pedals in one. Classic mode is based on the FZ-1's raucous fuzz tone, while Modern mode is a lot thicker, with a slightly different voicing¹⁹²²⁰. Hockenberry told GuitarPlayer the Classic mode sound is based on the FZ-1A, using discrete transistors¹⁵.

The pedal is all-analog, with circuitry laid out on glass-epoxy boards, and power comes through a 2.1mm center-negative jack for an external adapter¹⁵¹⁶²⁰.

What reviewers said about the FZ-M

Reviewers of the 2022 reissue were broadly positive. Guitar.com scored it 9/10, finding it gutsy and distinctive, much more than just a straight retro reboot¹⁷. The same reviewer noted a tightness to the bottom end that balances the raspy aggression of the treble, making it a joy for spirited chord work, though single notes can sound scratchy¹⁷. Another review called it a versatile fuzz that's built like a tank and nails the classic sounds, and a lot more besides, while noting it is a little bulky overall²⁰.

That review found a tightness to the bottom end in Classic mode that balances the raspy aggression of the treble, calling it a joy for spirited chord work, though single notes can sound scratchy¹⁷. GuitarPlayer's reviewer found Classic mode sounds like an early Fuzz-Tone, with a slightly scooped response and a frazzy fuzz sound, and summed the pedal up as "a good all-around fuzz that can deliver circa-'60s tones as well as heavy rock grind"¹⁵. Guitar World's reviewer called it versatile, solidly built and sensibly priced, with the only real criticism being that it is a little bulky overall²⁰.

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